Air Force breaks 11-year winless drought in MWC regular-season play

Men's Tennis

Air Force breaks 11-year winless drought in MWC regular-season play

USAFA, Colo. -- Air Force posted its first Mountain West regular-season victory in 11 years Sunday with a 5-2 victory against Utah State. The Falcons, who also snapped a seven-match losing streak, improved to 13-9 overall and 1-4 in the MW, while the Aggies fell to 9-13 and 0-5.

Air Force, which last won a regular-season league match on April 12, 2003 with a 5-2 victory against Utah, won two of the three doubles matches and four of the six singles matches on Sunday. After losing the No. 1 doubles match, AFA’s No. 3 team of junior Grant Taylor and freshman Lucas Fumagalli downed Sebastian Schneider and Andrew Whiting 8-5, then senior Andy Jackson and sophomore Andrew Parks clinched the point with an 8-6 win against Dennis Baumgartner and Matt Sweet.

The Falcons held the momentum in singles as senior Alex Grubbs put them up 2-0 with a 6-0, 6-4 victory versus Sweet. USU’s Marcus Fritz cut the lead in half by rallying to defeat sophomore Jack McCullers 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 2 spot. Jackson then won the No. 1 match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 versus Baumgartner and senior Steven Young clinched the team match with a 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2 triumph at the No. 4 position against Fredrik Peterson.

Schneider defeated Parks 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 and Fumagalli downed Tomas Cosmai 6-1, 3-6, 1-0 at No. 6 in the last two matches of the day.